It was mother knows best for Astros’ Peacock

Brad Peacock is battling for a spot in the Astros' rotation this season. ( Karen Warren / Houston Chronicle )

VIERA, Fla. — The Little League coaches were talking a bit of trash. Nobody assumed Brad Peacock’s mom would take them seriously when they dismissively urged Jacyne Peacock to coach a team.

Jacyne Peacock had played softball her entire life. She was certain her son Brad, who is now in camp with the Astros, was special enough to reach the majors someday. She also had plenty of confidence in her ability to coach Little League.

Jacyne accepted the challenge, becoming the first female Little League coach at Okeehelee Park, which is in the West Palm Beach, Fla., area.

Jacyne realized many fathers, coaches and umpires weren’t warm to the idea of the league’s first female coach.

She was reminded of their doubts whenever her team faced an opponent for the first time. At the pregame lineup exchange at the plate, the opposing coach, umpire or both would ask her when the manager was coming.

Although insulted by the question, she put up with the barbs because of her son.

“Brad wanted me to manage,” Jacyne said. “I was tired being on Little League teams that didn’t win. I told Brad, ‘If I manage, we’re going to play, and we’re going to play to win.’ ”

And that’s exactly what they did.

“She took us to the championship,” said Brad, a righthander competing for a spot in the Astros’ rotation.

His future was baseball

Although Brad taught himself how to pitch, he credits his mom with his early development. His father Jerry played football in high school but didn’t know nearly as much about baseball as his wife.

She was the one who spent countless hours in the back yard throwing Wiffle balls so Brad could practice his swing.

Soon after Brad started walking, his mother would set up a tiny diamond in the living room. The edge of one couch served as first base. The corner of a chair was second base. The television stand was third base. He often slid on the part of the floor that served as home plate.

“Brad was always about baseball,” Jerry said. “He wasn’t about basketball or football. He was always a baseball guy. We tried other sports with him, and there was just no interest.

“That’s really all he’s done since he was 5 years old. He’s given up summers playing on travel teams, given up summer vacations just to play baseball all year long.”

From the time he was 9 until he was out of high school, his mom delivered the same message most nights before he went to sleep.

“I told him he was born with a gift and all he had to do was work hard and he was going to make it,” Jacyne said. “And he said, ‘I know.’ But we couldn’t talk about it in front of anybody.”

Peacock, 25, accomplished his dream of reaching the majors in 2011 for a brief stint with the Washington Nationals. He went 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA over three appearances, including two starts.

He was the Nationals’ minor league pitcher of the year in 2011. The Nationals sent him to Oakland as part of the deal for Gio Gonzalez, and he was 12-9 at Class AAA Sacramento last season. The A’s then sent him to the Astros last month in the Jed Lowrie trade.

Now it’s a family affair

The righthander likely willl appear in the majors for the Astros at some point this season. He is scheduled to start Friday against Pittsburgh at Kissimmee, Fla. His parents and maternal grandfather plan to drive up from their home near Palm Beach, just as they have for each of his outings this spring.

The trade from Oakland, which trains in Arizona, has been a blessing for the family because it now can attend his Grapefruit League games.

Jerry, a retired police officer, actually followed Brad throughout his minor league career while driving from stadium to stadium in an old utility trailer he bought for $1,500 several years ago.

“He has a little bed in there and a little TV,” Peacock says of his father. “He’s definitely excited. Phoenix is a long way away. He’s definitely excited to see me play. And my grandpa, too.”

And his former Little League coach is proud as well, especially because she always reminded him that he was born with a gift.